Gear for motocycles



(No Model.) a SheetsShet 1.

G. H. ELLIS & J. I. STEWARD.

. GEAR FOR MOTO-GYGLES.

'No. 570,203. Patented 0012.27, 1896.

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIH! [llllllllllll llllllll (No Model.) =3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

G. H. ELLIS 8'5 J. 1 STEWARD.

GEAR FOR MOTO-GYGLBS.

No. 570,203. Patented Oct. 27, 1896.

(No Model.)

3jS hee'tQs-Sheet 3. G. H. ELLIS & J. F. STEWARD. GEAR FOR MOTO-GYGLQBS.

Patented Oct. 27, 1896.

7N: NORRIS PETERS co. Pnmou'fna, WASHINGTON. D. c. I

UNITED STATES PATENT UFFICE.

lrEORGE H. ELLIS AND JOHN F. STEXVARD, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS GEARFOR MOTOCYCLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 570,203, dated October 27, 1898. Application filed January 23, 1896. Serial No. 576,543. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, GEORGE H. ELLIS and JOHN F. STEWARD, of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gears for Motocycles, of which the following is a full description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan view of a carriage, showing our invention. Fig.- 2 is a side elevation of the same, and Figs. 3, 4t, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 are details of construction.

The object of our invention is to provide connecting-gearing between the engine or other source of power and the traction-wheels, whereby the speed of rotation of the engine or other motive power is reduced in its transmission and the power imparted to the traction wheels, and also provide convenient means for controlling the rate of speed of the carriage propulsion and, as well, its direction of travel.

A and A are the traction-wheels of the engine,and A and A the steering-wheels. These are secured to axles in the ordinary manner, the frame-bars of the carriage B and B being secured directly to the axle C at the rear and at front of the carriage to a barD, thatrests upon the axle E. This bar and the axle are pivoted together by the king-bolt 6. Upon the front axle is secured a segment 6, and adapted to move this is a pinion e So far the carriage need not differ from those now in common use. i

F may be considered as a gasolene-engine, a gas-engine, a steam-engine, or in fact a motor. I For our present purposes it is only necessary that it have the shaft F, adapted to be revolved at any suitable speed.

Suitably supported on the bars B and B are the bearings Z) and b.

b is a shaft that we prefer to extend all the way across the carriage-fran1e,'as may be seen in Fig. 1. It is provided with a sprocketwheel 17 at its left end, as seen in Fig. 1, and adjacent to the engine is secured the bevelgear I).

b is a sleeve, into and preferably through which the shaft 19 extends. At its inner end, adjacent to the wheel 12 is the bevel-gear b, and upon the outer or right end of the same is the sprocket-wheel If. The purpose of extending the. shaft b through the sleeve-like shaft 19* is to enable us to support both parts in two simple bearings.

The two bevel-gears referred to form parts of a difierential driving-gear. (Shown in section in Figs. 7 and 8.) Between the two bevelgears is placed the sprocket-wheel G, and within recesses of the sprocket-wheel are placed the bevel-pinions g. This sprocketwheel is adapted to move freely on the shaft, but the pinions engage the bevel-gears, between which they are, and which are secured each to one shaft. This differential gearing is used for the purpose of allowing each of the traction-wheels to revolve independently when the carriage is traveling on an arc of a circle, as in turning corners, and, not differing from that used on various traction-engines, need not be further described. form, however, an element of some of our combination claims.

Our mechanism for controlling the rate of travel and direction of movement, either forward or backward, may be more easily understood by reference to Fig. 7 where the shaft F is shown,with all the parts which it controls,in section. Upon this shaft is supported a disk H, having a suitably-grooved hub h. In this disk the shaft F is free to turn, except when the operator is-permitted to so move it longitudinally upon the shaft that it will be, in effect, locked to the shaft through instrumentalities to be explained, so that it is forced to turn with the shaft at the same rate of speed as the latter, or at a less rate of speed, at will. Supported upon this shaft by a bearing formed therein and to'the framework of the carriage through the bolt-holes j is the support J, to which, ate, the lever I is pivoted. This support we prefer to so adapt as to serve as a housing for the gearing it is shown to inclose as well as a stationary brake to effect the action of the disk H and the gears it carries. Upon the pins h we support the pinions 7L2, adapted to mesh into the pinion f.

Loosely upon the shaft F is placed the internal gear K, having its teeth adapted to also engage the pinions 7& A side elevation of the various gears is shown in Fig. 6. The internal gear K is free to turn on the shaft F,but is held from longitudinal movement between the pinion f and the collar f and is se- It will cured to the shaft F. To the hub of this gear K is secured the sprocket-wheel F It may be formed as one piece with the internal gearhub,or in any other manner positively secured thereto. The disk II has the flange h and to this flange are secured, by rivets, cushions of leather h".

The housing J is smoothed at its interior surface adjacent to the position of the flange h and its cushions, of leather or other suitable material, and the outer periphery of the web of the internal gear K, are also turned or otherwise made smooth.

It will be observed that the inner surface of the housing J at the point adjacent to the leather or other braking-surfaces forms the frustum of a hollow cone, and that the outer surface of the web of the internal gear K forms the outer surface of the frustum of a cone.

Upon the arm I are placed antifrictionrollers (shown in dotted lines in Fig. that enter the groove in the hub it of the disk II. By movement of this lever, then, the disk II is moved longitudinally upon the shaft F. It will be seen that in Fig. 3 it is shown as moved to the right, and that the brake'pad 7L is made to contact with the outer periphery of the internal gear K, and that the brakesurface is not in contact with the housing J. It may be said, in passing, in order to make the matter clear, that the disk II serves,among other purposes, that of the movable part of a brake that is adapted to prevent itself from turning by being forced against the stationary housing, or at other times to compel the gear K to move when it is itself moved. If attention be directed to Fig. i, it will be seen that the brake-surfaces are shown close in contact with the housing. W'ith the parts in this position the disk II will be restrained from rotating. In Fig. 3 the braking-surface is shown as forced into contact with the gear K, so that if the disk were given rotation it would also compel the internal gear K to rotate.

In Fig. 5 the brake-surfaces of the disk H are shown not to be in contact with either the stationary housing or the gear K.

The operation of our driving-gearing is as follows: The shaft F may be supposed to be a continuously-running shaft, always in one direction, and the housing J, which is, in fact, a stationary brake, fixed to the gearing-carriage, the engine-bed, or other suitable place. The pinion f being ri gidlysecu red to the shaft F is thus adapted to rotate continuously. Let us 110w suppose the lever I to be in the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 3, that is, with the disk 11 so forcibly drawn against the stationary brake J that it (the disk) cannot rotate. The pinion f will turn the pinions 7L2 011 their supporting-studs in a direction opposite from that of the shaft F, and as they mesh into the internal gear formed in the disk K the said disk will be driven in a direction opposite to that of rotation of the shaft F, and the sprocket-wheel F secured to the disk, will be moved in the same direction. This sprocket-wheel F is provided with a chain that passes around the sprocketwheel G of the differential gearing first described. Let us now assume that the shaft of the engine or other suitable motor is moved in the direction indicated by the arrow on the balance wheel secured to the said shaft. \Vith the parts in the position just mentioned, and the result being a rotation of the sprocketwheel F in a direction reverse to that of the shaft F, the movement imparted to the traction-wheels through the instrumentality of the differential gearing and the connectingchains will be such as to back the carriage. As the pinion f is small and the gears 7L2 upon axes that are for the time being considered fixed, the latter serve but as intermediates to transfer motion from the said pinion f to the internal gear K, which is much larger than the said driving-pinion f, and the result is that the said gear is revolved not only in a reverse direction, but at a much slower rotation than the shaft of the engine.

''e have shown sixteen teeth in thepinion f and forty-eight in the internal gear K, the result of which is that the gear K, and hence the sprocket-wheel F secured to it, will move at only one-third of the rate of speed that the gear moves. The motive force being constant it will be clearly understood that the reduction in speed would result in an increase of the power applied to the sprocket-wheel1 the result of which is, in turn, that the carriage moving backward would move slowly, but with great power. It is never necessary to run a carriage at a high rate of speed hackward, and hence we make the gear f small in proportion to the internal gear K. To do this, it is only necessary for us to make our intermediate gears 71.2 of suitable size to intermesh with the gears referred to. The advantage we gain is this: e are enabled to gear our carriage so that when going forward a good rate of speed may be attained. If, however, a person running our carriage gets into miry places or ruts that stall him, he can reverse the movement and back out. Having at his command a force at least three times as great as that which carried him in, he can back out of any difficulty. If new the operator wishes to run the carriage forward, he shifts the lever I to the position shown in full line in Fig. 3, in which case it will be observed that the braking-surfaces of the flanged disk H and the gear K are brought in contact. As the angle of the braking-surfaces relative to the axes of the said disks is very small, but little pressure upon the lever I is required to hold disks H and K so firmly together as to practically be as one piece. Let it be observed that the pinions 7L2 are supported on the disk H and if they cannot turn on their axes they pratically lock the disk H to the pinion, and as the latter rotates the disk II is forced to rotate. Vith now the said disk H locked by the friction of the brakepads to the disk K it is also forced to rotate and carry with it the sprocket-wheel F The two disks, the gears between them, and the pinion upon the shaft being practically all looked together, the sprocket-wheel F secured to the disk K, is forced to rotate in the same direction as the shaft F and at exactly the same rate of speed. By this last adjustment of the lever I it is seen then that the sprocket-wheel F is adapted to move the carriage in a forward direction at a high rate of speed. These two directions of speed, it has been shown,are controlled by the lever I, first, by forcing it in one direction and then in the other; but let us now suppose that the said lever be placed in a medium position, so that the brakesurfaces of the disk H will neither come in contact with the stationary brake formed in this instance by the housing nor with the periphery of the disk of the internal gear K; and let it also be supposed that the carriage is standing upon the ground so that there is some little resistance to movement. The result will be that as the rotation of the disk K is thus resisted the pinion f, through the instrumentality of the intermediate orbitally-moving gears h rotates the disk H, as there will be no braking resistance to hinder, the result being that H will rotate idly, for, as stated, its rotation is not resisted by the stationary brake, nor is its motion imparted to the disk K, for it doesnot come in contact'therewith. Let us now suppose the carriage to be standing and the lever I' be moved nearly to its position shown in Fig. 3. The brake-surface of the disk II will be forced against the surface upon the disk K, with which it cooperates, and the carriage will be started forward, but as we have not yet moved the lever I to its farthest extent the frictional contact of the brake to the periphery of the disk K is not great and the carriage will be moved forward with but little force, and consequently will move only at a slow rate of speed. If it is desired to increase the speed, then the lever will be moved a little farther to the right, so as to prod uce greater frictional contact within the driving and the driven surface, when the speed of the carriage will be increased. In this instance, with the shaft F rotating at its full rate of speed, the speed of the engine will be divided and a portion of it go to waste through such idle movement of the disk H. The action can be well illustrated by comparing it with ordinary friction-gearing, where the frictional contact is made variable at will, as used in various kinds of machinery. If it be desired to move the carriage backward very slowly, it is then only necessary to force the lever I to the left less than the full distance, when the disk H will be only a little resisted from rotating and a part of the movement of the shaft F be idle. 'We have, it will now be understood, a compact nest of gearing upon a single shaft adapted to impart motion from is shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 9.

l is a hollow shaft supported in a bearing Z upon the flooring of the carriage-body and a bearing Z supported by the brace Z and extending to any suitable position, as, for in stance, the flooring of the carriage. This hollow shaft is adapted to revolve freely and carries with it the eccentric M, which we groove from preference, and spans the brace m and 'm of the lever I. Upon these spanning portions we provide pins that enter the slot in the eccentric M. These grooves and pins are for the purpose of sustaining the end of the lever in proper relation to the eccentric. Upon the upper end of this hollow shaft is a hand-wheel M, which may be considered as a lever or any suitable means by which the hollow shaft is rotated. It, now, the handwheel be rotated in one direction, the eccentric is carried to the position shown in Fig. 1, where the lever I is so moved as to cause the carriage to move ahead. If, however, the said hand-wheel. be given a half-rotation farther or a half -rotation backward, the eccentric will be moved so as to carry the lever I to its other extreme, and the gearing thus adapted to move the carriage backward. If, however, the hand-wheel be turned so that the eccentric shall be in a middle position, the braking-surfaces of the disk H will be out of contact with anything and the carriage stand idle. Our purpose in making the shaft hollow is to make it also support the shaft N, to which the steering-pinion e is secured at its lower end. Upon the shaft at its upper end is a hand-wheel a. While traveling, the operator must have his hands upon the hand wheel at or other suitable means for controlling the latter, but it is not necessary that he manipulate the wheel a only at such time as he wishes to move cautiously. There is no tendency for the parts to move, but with the eccentric only partly turned they might be moved by the jarring of the carriage. To prevent this, we apply a ratchet-wheel l4 and the spring-pawl Z adapted to cooperate therewith, the teeth of each being so made that a little force will move the ratchet-wheel. This construction is shown in Figs. 2 and 10.

It will be observed that in our reversing device we have two disks moving freely upon a shaft and means for locking them together, and when we speak of means for doing this in the claims we mean the manner shown or its equivalent, and wherever the term means for is used in the claims we mean that the joint action of certain of the elements, performing a function, as they do, may be considered as one element of the claims.

As the results reached by our reversing arrangement are due to the relative movement of the disks II and K it is evident that means can be employed for moving the disk K 1011- gitudinally on its axis relative to the disk II, but of course in such a case a modification of the braking devices would be required.

To are aware that mechanisms have been located upon a shaft in such a manner as to give motion to machinery and drive it in either direction at will, and we do not claim to be the first to accomplish such a result, broadly considered; but

What we do claim is 1. The eontinuously-running pinion f, the disks II and K supported concentrically relative to the said pinion, the said disk K formin g an internal gear, and the said disk II having, upon suitable supports, the gear or gears 7L2 adapted to mesh into the said pinion f and into the internal gear of the disk K, the friction-ring J, and means for clutching the disk H to the said ring or to the said disk K, at will, substantially as described.

2. The continuously-running pinion f, the disks H and K, supported concentrically relative to the said pinion, the said disk K forming an internal gear, and the said disk II having, upon suitable supports, the gear or gears 71. adapted to mesh into the said pinion f and into the internal gear of the disk K, means for moving the said disk II laterally whereby it may be either held from rotation, may be clutched to the disk K or may be set free and thus set free the said disk K, at will, substantially as described.

3. The continuously-running pinion f, the disks II and K supported concentrically relative to the said pinion, the said disk K forming an internal gear, and the said disk H having, upon suitable supports, the gear or gears 7L2 adapted to mesh into the said pinion f and into the internal gear of the disk K, a wheel secured to the said disk K, the friction-ring for imparting motion to the machine to be actuated, and means for moving the disk II laterally whereby it may be held from rotation or may be held to the disk K or may be set free from both at will, substantially as described.

4:. The continuously-driven pinion f, the disk II, having an annular friction-flange and adapted to move laterally, a planet gear or gears suitably supported on said disk, the internal gear adapted to be held from lateral movement and having an annular frictionflange inside that of the disk II, a stationary friction-ring outside of the said disk H and means for moving the said disk H laterally whereby it may frietionally clutch the said friction-ring or the said internal gear, or may be held free from both at will, substantially as described.

5. In a motor cycle and in combination, a motor having a driving-shaft, a driven wheel mounted loosely upon and concentrically with the driving-shaft, a pinion on said shaft, planetary gearing supported upon said driving-shaft and having a disk adapted to move laterally, the said planetary gearing constructed substantially as described, whereby the said driven wheel is rotated in either direetion, means within reach of the operator for moving said disk, counter-shafts mounted on coincident axes, each shaft being suitably connected to the driving-wheels of the motor cycle and differential gearing mounted upon the adjacent ends of said counter-shafts and rotated by said driven wheel, substantially as described.

(5. In a carriage a motor having a continuously-driven shaft, an internal gear K loosely supported on the shaft thereof, a pinion f keyed to the said shaft, the disk H loosely mounted on the said shaft and adapted to be moved in longitudinal directions, the intermediate gears upon the said disk 11 adapted to engage the pinion f and the intermediate gears of the disk K, a power-transmitting wheel as one piece with the said disk K, gearing adapted to transmit motion from the said power-transmitting wheel on the said disk K to the traction-wheels, and means'under the control of the attendant for moving the said disk II longitudinally, substantially as described.

GEORGE II. ELLIS. JOHN F. STEVARD.

Vitnesses CHAS. A. STEWARD, ARTHUR JOHNSON. 

